by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. â?? Sometimes, even Peyton Manning could use a little extra help when it comes to getting ready for his next opponent. Luckily for Manning, he can lean on his younger brother, Eli.

The Manning brothers realized during a phone conversation last week that their teams play eight common opponents this season â?? each of the four teams in the AFC North and the NFC South.

This week, Peyton's Broncos play Carolina â?? a team Eli's Giants beat 36-7 in September, while the Giants play Cincinnati, whom the Broncos beat 31-23 last Sunday.

"I talked to him [Tuesday] about their game," Eli Manning said. "Just seeing if there are any tips on certain things."

Well, here's one that likely came up: Watch out for Bengals cornerback Terence Newman. He twice jumped in front of Denver receiver Eric Decker to intercepted a pair of Peyton's passes in the third quarter. One of those interceptions was in the end zone.

Eli's advice about the Panthers, though he declined to disclose exactly what he revealed to his brother, might not be as helpful right now, with the Panthers showing significant improvement, in Week 10, than when the Giants ran away with a Thursday night game in mid-September.

"I mean, you've still got to go play the game. Sometimes a team will play us differently than they did the Giants or whoever," Peyton Manning said. "But it's just good to talk football with someone who's played them before. There's something about playing a team instead of just seeing them on film, to give you a little first-hand talk."

This week won't be the last time the brothers share scouting reports this season. The Broncos will play three more games against teams previously on the Giants' schedule: Carolina, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland. The Giants won all three of those games.

The Giants still have to play the Bengals, the Falcons and the Saints. Denver went 2-1 in those games earlier this season.

Both teams have yet to play the Baltimore Ravens, and will do so on back-to-back weeks in December, starting with Peyton on Dec. 16, and Eli on Dec. 23.

"I don't know if it helps a ton, but I know it doesn't hurt," Peyton said.

Peyton Manning is 13-5 when he's played an opponent (in the same season) after his brother. Eli's teams have had fewer chances, and his teams are 4-5. So that either means that Eli is a better teacher, or Peyton is just a better listener.

"That's two very talented quarterbacks who excelled at what they do in this league, and in this game," said Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen. "I'm sure it helps a lot."